Microsoft to Issue Six Security Patches Next Week

Microsoft Corp. said Thursday that it plans to release at least six software patches next week to fix security flaws in its Windows operating systems and other software, including an update to plug a security hole that hackers have been exploiting to compromise Windows computers.

Key among the updates the company said we could expect next week is a patch to mend what it called a "critical" flaw in its XML Core Services, which it has said bad guys already are exploiting to take complete control over vulnerable Windows PCs.

Microsoft didn't specify which other flaws next week's batch of updates would address, but there is at least one other vulnerability that hackers have been exploiting that probably bears an update. The company has acknowledged that attackers are currently taking advantage of a flaw in Visual Studio 2005 to infiltrate Windows computers, so that is a likely target for update next week.

Microsoft said it also intends to push out two "non-security high-priority updates" for Windows machines, but it didn't offer any more specifics about those fixes. Security Fix will have the lowdown on all of the updates shortly after they are issued next Tuesday afternoon.